Conquering Anawangin

Imagine the perfect island cove under your feet and within your reach...

Allow me to tell you a little of what I can recall in my first visit...
Mountains in the island covered with a forest of pine trees that reaches to the silver-powder beach and clear bluish-green open sea. Okay you can breathe now. I know it was 'breathtaking'.

You know the exciting thing I did there? Not skim-boarding, not snorkling, not trekking, and not even diving..I sat there under a pine tree then relaxed. Knowing that behind my back was the pine-tree-green-covered mountains, I felt this calling - - - to read my favorite book. I seized the clear blue skies with fluffy cotton-clouds that touches the infinite horizon of endless sea water that has trapped the beach in front of me.

I enjoyed the moment..and suddenly I felt I own Anawangin; and nothing else matter except the beauty of nature that is all around me..overwhelming me..

Note:

Thanks for bringing me there Allen..one of the greatest gifts I have ever received in my life is being able to share with you your 'happy place'. To top it all may kasama pa tayong Kabsat Lon at Ben Cool..grabe kayo talaga ang core group..

Sagada's Secret Revealed

What's all the fuzz and hype in Sagada? Everybody seems to 'want' to be there if they needed serenity or feel tranquility.

And knowing myself, unlike everybody else who just dream or 'want' to be there, I went there. Really spent time mesmerizing, feeling, analyzing and simply just being there..to gather enough information and realization to answer the many questions of its unwavering beauty and of its challenging mystique.

I went there not with the sole purpose of finding the 'charms' of the mountains, caves, falls and rice terraces of the Cordillera. Because I know Mother Nature is beautiful beyond reasonable doubt. She has not failed me; she has embodied in my mind this picture perfect scenery everytime and every moment. I can watch her in Discovery channel and National Geographic for days.. And the other side of her which I call her 'wrath'; which has scared me to death so many times..that I don't want to see. So I challenge nothing of her power, strength, capability and beauty.

So 'how to find that certain peace?' which everyone would like to experience in this place; and even 'keep' in their minds..Actually you don't need to go that far (12 hours of land travel? And did I mention that is just one way? It's no joke when you sit that long in a bus going through zigzags and rough road..hehehe, but the 'view' was really worth it...sigh..)

Going back to our 'realization'.. when you needed to be at peace with yourself and when you feel there is an urge for you to stay away from being angry, stressed, confused or feel negative..'simply stop and smell the flowers'. It is the secret of Sagada.

Life in the town is slower, nobody is in a hurry..when you're there it's just you in a 'rush', the stranger and the foreigner in you who is visiting for a vacation is isolated. So you feel afloat and restless and wanting to be with the people in Sagada. You envy their simplicity, worry-free and effortlessness in living their daily life. And then you become more aware of your words, actions and you can even feel your own breathing in the cold, misty and still weather.

That's how simple it is, that's how simple life can be. That's how simple it is to choose to be at peace; that's how easy and simple it is to be happy.

Stop.
Listen to your breathing for a while.
Enjoy the things around you.
Stare at Mother Nature; ever wonder how she feels like when she is appreciated and protected?

As much as I can tell, she knows her beauty, now find out from where you're at.
P.S. It's still a must though that you visit Sagada for yourself. You'd understand my blog better..

It's Just A Song

It used to be just another song, until - -
you start seeing yourself living in the lyrics and its' hymn..

[CHORUS 1]
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.
You'd be like heaven to touch.
I wannahold you so much.
At long last love has arrived.
And I thank God I'm alive.You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.
Pardon the way that I stare.
There's nothing else to compare.
The sight of you leaves me weak.
There are no words left to speak.
But if you feel like I feel.
Please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.

[CHORUS 2]
I need you baby
And if it's quite all right,
I need you babyTo warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.Trust in me when I say:
Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.
And let me love you,
Oh baby let me love you, oh baby....

Repeat Chorus 1[To fade]

I need you baby, and if it's quite all right,
I need you baby to warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.Trust in me when I say:
Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby....
I need you baby, and if it's quite all right,
I need you baby to warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.

Trust in me when I say:
Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby....

Officially Atenista

Yes! I am so back in my MBA after 20 months of delaying tactics to be able to save for it. Suddenly, I felt a pang of chill up my spine when I hang my school ID in my neck because I miss my original batchmates. And this year, they're graduating already.

Sigh.

I had goosebumps. I started questioning my decisions in the past. But heck! It was all said and done, the great thing is...I'm back on track. And I'm making sure I'll stay in the race...for real!

The last week of March was the start of classes. And last Saturday I attended the 'freshmen orientation'.*Just the sound of it made my blood rush to my cheeks*

It was a whole day of activities: with all the shiiibangz of film showing, MBA introduction, inspirational talks, group discussions, teambuilding acivities, learning, fun and laughter. Its finale was a mass..and it was so worth attending.

I have new friendships! And I know I made the right choice of school, the fit MBA course and the decision to enroll again!

This week was the second week of classses. I am now part of my second and third set of blockmates; which makes me legally 'an irregular student'. But I would never change my schedule to be 'regular-normal'.

Why?

One, your imaginary smart-fun-cool-approachable-respectable profs came to life. Two, I have a class with succesful-fun-fearless females who debate their views with our prof. And last but not the least, I ouldn't miss my other class with the goofiest executives, corporate lawyers, brockers, deans, marketing managers and engineers you've ever met!

I am here to learn. And having fun is an added value.

If learning is as dreamy and as happy as this...I don't want to wake-up from it. And I know the true test of learning is when you triumph through hardships, teamwork and collaboration..I'm so glad to be a part of it.


P.S. I finally got my grades..And being a dean lister during my last term was a bonus! *winks..* I thought they were kidding me!

Dealing with a Bully

I never really thought that I would encounter bullies again after gradeschool. But in my life, and its twists and suprises, you can be so wrong...They are everywhere. And I hate to admit that sometimes I want to actually step down to their level. However I choose TO GROW UP. And choosing was half the battle of knowing that they are for 'real'.

I wanted to be able to deal with them with my head. So, here's what I read online from:
http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/aa101600c.htm
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NAME CALLING & LABELING

Social Weapons & Psychological Warfare More of this Feature
• Social Weapons
• Rumours & Gossip
• Ostracizing & Alienation

Another very common social weapon, it is probably the first one any of us use or are subjected to by others. As far back as grade school kids call each other names and label one another according to a perceived social status; cool, sporty, brainy, nerdy, geeky, loser... In high school the tactic is still used. Sometimes those original grade school lables stick with a person all the way up to high school. Other times, the names and lables become more sinister with age. A lot of the time, the lables are grounded in some truth about the person which makes them even harder to shake.

The only way you can deal with name calling is to roll with the verbal punches and walk away at the nearest opening. Reaction is what the name callers are after. Give them no reaction, or the opposite reaction from the one they want, and they will likely bore and move on. Labelling, on the other hand, is much more complicated.

Unlike name calling, which is stuck in a moment, labelling follows you through time and space. Labelling is the evolution of name calling, it is when a name you are called by others stays with you even when it is not spoken out loud. It is debilitating because more often than not a person comes to see themselves the same way, that is, in terms of the label they have been given by others. How do you deal with something like that? Simple, you beat it!

A label is something that others give to you, if you don't accept it, it isn't really yours. There are two ways to beat this type of social attack. You can OWN your label or you can REFUTE it!

OWNING YOUR LABEL:
You do this by first making the label your own and then redefining what it means. Think about the term "bitch", it used to be an insult toward women yet today many women call themselves this name with pride. It was taken over by the feminist movement almost a decade ago and redefined to mean "strong woman who stands up for herself without apology". Think about the term "geek", it used to be an insult thrown at the brainiest members of a class, but the Silicon Valley set took it over and rewrote it's meaning. With the help of Bill Gate's, billionaire geek extrordinaire, geek became chic and now means, "those who make the world better and advance technology for all". Whatever insult you are called, look for a positive twist and make THAT twist what the word means when applied to you.

REFUTING YOUR LABEL:
Act as if you don't care, the "whatever" attitude, whenever somebody hurls an insult in your direction or treats you a certain (undesirable) way. Never let them see you sweat! Don't let the label consume you, ignore it as best you can and live your life the way that makes you happy. Do not waste time getting upset about the label you have been tagged with, instead work on showing another side of yourself. Create an anti-image label and stick with it. Let others know that the label is an outdated thing of the past. Be outgoing and friendly but don't set yourself up for scrutiny. Identify why you have been given the label and down play the side of you that makes the label stick.
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But for the mean time, I'm walking away. Getting rid of the bad energy.

I, Heart and You

10 years ago on this very day..I fell in love.

--- That kind of love that tickles all the butterflies in your stomach with the mere sound of his voice and the very thought of him...being with you.
That kind of love that makes your knees weak and makes you think you are 'the world to somebody'.

It was great. Because it suddenly progressed to a feeling of where I realized that I am capable of loving a person more than I could love myself. Unbelievable, right? But trust me when I say ---
he was my strength, my friend, my laughter and my inspiration.

I learned a lot about life, through his way of life. I learned about myself, through the way he spent his life with me.
Together, we made a journey where angels in heaven can be jealous of.

But around 3 years ago, I found myself here in Taiwan, attending a teambuilding. My head was aching terribly from drinking too much.
I was arrogant and full of pride, pretending I am just okay- - yes, I got broken hearted.

I realized very slowly how I left myself in the open.. out in the cold, steady and distant. I realized my heart wasn't moving because I choose not to do anything about it.

I took one step at a time..it was slow from forgiving to an acceptance of what I can do the situation and for myself.
I was strong in the outside. Keeping my principle that only I can mend my bleeding heart.

I was too stubborn to get help. I know that the scars of the past will not stop haunting me in my sleep unless I stopped re-living them. I keep on going back
and the feeling that was too painful to bear become an addiction that was slowly taking life out of me.

I used to find myself trembling whenever I recall these certain feelings.

Now-a-days, I feel at peace. Serene. Calm, collected and smiling again.

My heart's not yet in a great condition. But I just have to keep on trying..and healing - - - until I start trusting on love again.